Hinge and latch device



Jam 26, 1943. R. L. SMYTHE HINGE AND LATCH DEVICE 7 Fi led Aug. 2. 1940ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 26, 1943 HINGE AND LATCH DEVICE Robert L. Smythe,Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Line Material Company, Milwaukee, Wis., acorporation of Delaware Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,909

4 Claims. (Cl. 16-179) This invention relates to improvements in hingeand latch devices.

Luminaires, especially closed type street lighting luminaires, commonlycomprise a hood which houses an electric lamp socket, a reflectormounted in any convenient manner in the hood, and a glass globe securedto the reflector.

When the lamps are damaged they are replaced by moving the globe tounlatched position. Such work is performed at times by the workmanstanding on the ground, at a distance from the luminaire greater thanarms length. When the globes are damaged or require cleaning the damagedglobes are replaced or the tarnished globes are cleaned.

To facilitate this work it is necessary to provide a proper attachingdevice by which the globe is easily moved by means of an operating stickto a position where the damaged lamp may be replaced. damage by theglobe to the reflector gasket during the globe closing operation. It isfurther desirable to secure uniform pressure at all points between theglobe and the gasket both during and after the globe latching operation.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide for a streetlighting luminaire, hinge and latch devices each pivotally mounted onthe reflector for movement in a direction approximately parallel to thevertical axis of the unit,

which movement is adapted to compensate for dimensional variationsbetween the cooperating parts of the luminaire, thereby insuring properalignment between the reflector and the globe in its closed position andprevent damaging stresses and strains on the luminaire parts.

Another object is to provide biased hinge and latch devices adapted toallow automatic adjustment between the globe and reflector and insureuniform contact of the parts and positive sealing of the unit.

Still another object is to provide a latching device biased into lockingposition and acting in an approximately parallel direction relative tothe vertical axis of the luminaire to insure proper sealing relationshipbetween the globe and re flector.

A further object is to provide a hinge device which is cammed in adirection parallel to the vertical axis of the luminaire during the lastfew degrees of the globe closing operation, thereby moving the globeinto position without tearing or crimping the gasket.

A still further object is to provide a hinge device comprising a pair ofseparable elements.

It i also desirable to eliminate any which may be readily manipulated tofacilitate removal of the globe from the unit in an easy and quickmanner.

Yet another object is to provide an automatic latch device having acombined camming and latching portion so arranged as to provide a contact between the globe and reflector, which is progressively increasedas the latch moves to locked position, thereby insuring positive sealingaction between the parts and facilitate replacement of parts at adistance from the luminaire greater than arm's length.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of a closed type streetluminaire embodying the improved hinge and latch devices.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view, partly in section, showing the hingedevice.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view, partly in section, showing the latchdevice.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 4.

Like parts are designated by the same refer.

ence numerals throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 shows. fragmentarily, a closed type street luminaire comprising ahood (not shown) to which a reflector I is attached (attachment notbeing shown) in any convenient manner. A glass globe 2 is secured to thereflector l by means of a hinge device designated generally by thenumeral 3, a latch device designated generally by the numeral 4, and theglobe band 5.

The reflector l is provided at its lower end with a flange 6. Areinforcing angle ring I, having a horizontal portion 8 and a verticalportion 9, is mounted within the flange and held therein by spinning thelower end of the flange over the ring at III. A cork gasket H is securedin any convenient manner, as by glue, to the under side of the ringportion 8.

The globe band 5 comprises a single length of suitable thin gauge, flatmetal provided with a latching prong l 2 secured to the band in anyconvenientmanner, as by counter-sunk rivets not shown.

The prong I2 is provided with a camming surface l3 having a series ofarcuate portions M which provide a plurality of locking notches IS, thefunction of which will be described hereinafter.

The free ends of the band are each provided with a cam-like pivot l6integral with a supporting structure I! secured to the band ends by anyconvenient means as by countersunk rivets (not shown).

It may be noted that each cam-like pivot I6 is formed to provide twopivot bearing surfaces 18 and It. The forward pivot bearing surface I8has a greater radius of curvature than the pivot bearling-surface l9immediately to the rear thereof. Apertures 20 extend through the pivotsl adjacent the bearing surface l8 in axial alignment with each other andreceive .therethrough a bolt 2| adapted to hold the band 5 in placeabout the globe 2 by drawing the free ends of the globe band toward eachother and at the same time adapted to facilitate mounting of thecam-like pivots in the pivot housing 22.

The pivot housing 22 comprises the lower part of the hinge casting 23.The housing 2.2 is provided with a cam-like opening 24 extendingtherethrough and adapted to provide a bearing surface 25 upon which thecam-like pivots l6 may rotate.

The upper portion of the hinge casting 23 is provided with a springhousing 26 having a downwardly curved upper member 21, side members 25provided with apertures 29 elongated in a direction parallel to thevertical axis of the luminaire and in axial alignment to each other, and:a fiat,

smooth-surfaced front member 30 extending downwardly into the pivothousing 22.

A U-shaped hinge-supporting member 3| having spaced parallel legs 32extending outwardly from a base member 33 is secured to the flange 6 ofthe reflector l by means of bolts 34 extending through the base member33 into the vertical portion 9 of th ring 1. A guide means 35 extendsupwardly centrally of the base member 33 and operates as a guidingsurface over which the smooth surface of the front member 30 moveslaterally. Each leg 32 is provided with an aperture 35 in axialalignment with the other and receives therein a pivot pin 3lupon whichismounted the casting 23 and a double conical spring 38, which spring isprotected against direct weathering by the spring housing 26. The pin3'! is held against removal by means ,of cotter keys 39.

It will be noted that the double conical spring 38 is wound for a fewturns intermediate its ends, in close proximity 'to the pin 31, and thenspirals conically toward each end. By providing the spring in thismanner it is possible to bias the lateral movement of the casting 23 onthe pin .31 about the elongated openings 29 in a comparatively simple,efiective, and eflicient manner.

Figs. 4 and .5 show the'latching device 4 which comprises a casting 40having a pair of spaced parallel legs 4|, provided with apertures 42elongated in a direction parallel to the vertical axis of the luminaireand in axial alignment with each other, and an accurately shaped crossmember 43 joining each leg and extending upward into a stop means 44adapted tolimit the outward rotational movement of the latch.

The legs 4 l converge downwardly toward a narrow spacing and thendiverge downwardly and rea-rwardly to form a pair of guide ribs 45.

Intermediate the ribs 45 an inclined guide-way 6 3 is provided, whichextends upwardly between the ribs .to the narrow spacing and terminatesin a lockingsurfaceor bar 41.

A U-shaped supporting member comprising a pair of spaced parallel legs49 extending outwardly from a base member and providedwith axiallyaligned apertures 5| is mounted on the flange 6 diametrically oppositethehinge member 3 by means of bolts 52.

The casing 45 .is pivotally mounted on a pin 53 extending through theapertures 5| and elongated apertures 42, all in axial aligmnent witheach other. The pin is held in place by means of cotter keys 54.

A double conical spring 55, formed in a manner described withreferenceto the spring 38, is mounted on the pin 53 between the legs Hwith one end 56 of the spring being biased against the base member 50and the other end 51 of the spring being biased against the cross member43.

It may be noted that the latch member 4!] is provided with a rotationalmovement about the pin 53 and a lateral movement relative to the pin 53,both movements being biased by the conical spring 55.

The band 5 is mounted adjacent the upper edge of the globe 2 and the twocam-like pivots iii are brought together within the pivot housing 22and. secured therein by means of the bolt 2|. It may be noted that theglobe pivots about the pivot bearing surface IE on the pivots E6 in itsopen position as shown in Fig. 2 by the broken lines. As the globe ismoved toward latching position the pivot bearing I9 moves arcuatelydownward to the lower portion of the bearing surface 25 of the pivothousing 22. At this point in the closing operation the edge of the globeadjacent the hinge 3 has moved to a point a short distance below thegasket H. From this point the movement of the globe is about the pivotbearing l9 and further movement causes the hinge and globe to rapidlyrise in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis of theluminaire into closed position, thereby preventing tearing or crimpingof the gasket by the edge of the globe, which would otherwise happen ifthe globe were pivoted about a single axis throughout its closingoperation.

During the closing operation the prong l2 on the band 5 is brought incontact against the lower portion of the inclined guide-way 46 betweenthe ribs 45'and forces the casting 40 to pivot outwardly until the endof the prong l2 clears the locking 'bar 41.

As the camming surface of the prong clears the bar 4'! the latch isbiased by the spring 55 into locked engagement with one of the notches[5.

It may now be noted that the upper edge of the globe is automaticallyadjusted into proper sealing relationship with the gasket H by thelateral movement of the hinge 3 and latch 5 about the pins 3'! and 53respectively. The lateral movement is biased by reason of the spiralformation of the springs 38 and 55.

'It may also be noted that an operator, located a considerable distancefrom the luminaire, may disengage the globe from the reflector by movingthe latch casting 45 outwardly by means of an operating stick placedagainst the lower edge of the guide-way 45. After the globe has moved bygravity into open position the damaged lamp may be replaced, using wellknown means for this operation, and then moving the globe into lockedposition again by pressing arcuately upwardly against the under side ofthe prong l2 adjacent the globe.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the objects of thisinvention have been accomplished by providing hinge and latch devicesfor a luminaire, each including a member pivotally mounted on -a pivotmeans carried by said luminaire and a biasing means mounted on saidpivot means adapted to provide lateral movement of said hinge and latchdevices relative to said pivot means, thereby providing automaticadjustment between the reflector and globe; and

by providing said hinge and latch devices with a camming means adaptedto prevent tearing and crimping of the gasket and secure positivecontact between the parts.

I claim:

1. Attaching means for drawing a first and a second member towards eachother in sealing relation, said means comprising a pin carried by saidfirst member, hood means relatively movable with respect to said pin, ahelical spring surrounding said pin and having one portion in closelycoiled relation to said pin and having another portion contacting saidhood means and spaced from said pin, and cam means for moving said hoodmeans to stress said spring by moving said other portion of said springtransversely of said pin.

2. Attaching means for drawing a first and a second member towards eachother in sealing relation, said means comprising a pin carried by saidfirst member, hood means relatively movable with respect to said pin, ahelical spring surrounding said pin and having one portion in closelycoiled relation to said pin and having another portion contacting saidhood means and spaced from said pin, and cam means for moving said hoodmeans to stress said spring by moving said vother portion of said springtransversely of said pin, said cam means having two portions, oneportion of said cam means being on said hood and the other portion ofsaid cam means being carried by said second member.

with a wall of said triangulated opening to yieldingly force said firstand second members towards each other when said second member is rockedin one direction.

4. Attaching means for drawing a first and a second member towards eachother in sealing relation, said means comprising a pin carried by saidfirst member, a rocking and sliding member rockably and slidably carriedby said pin, spring means between said pin and said rocking and slidingmember, said spring means comprising a spiral spring having one portionin closely coiled relation to said pin and another portion spaced fromsaid pin and contacting said rocking and sliding member, and cam meansone portion of which is carried by said second member and the otherportion of which is carried by said rocking and sliding member.

ROBERT L. SMYTHE.

